The best way to keep hay and straw bales from rotting is to use a bale spike instead of the bucket and grapple. The grapple puts holes into the top of the bale which allows moisture into the bale. With a bale spike however you only put one hole in the end of the bale which doesn’t allow moisture in as easily. Although a bale spike may be expensive and seem unnecessary, it speeds hauling time and reduces feed loss and is a very good investment.